Lawyer seeks to swap presidential election results

An election official shows a ballot paper during vote counting in the September 23rd Presidential Election. PHOTO/MIHAARU

16 October 2018, MVT 16:33

A lawyer has filed at the High Court seeking to swap the results of the recently held Presidential Election, declaring incumbent President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom as the victor.

The case was filed as an electoral complaint by the lawyer, Abdul Maniu Hussain.

The case claims that checkmarks ticked by the president's name on ballot papers had faded and reappeared beside opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's name and vice versa.

Hence, the case requests the court to rule that the final results of the two candidates should be swapped.

The case is based on claims made by the President's Office's spokesperson, Ibrahim Muaz Ali, during a recent rally of the ruling Progressive Party of Maldives (PPM). Muaz had claimed to have witnessed the checkmark switching from the president's name to Solih's on a ballot paper, and the lawyer has requested Muaz as a witness for the case.

It is currently unclear whether the High Court has accepted the case yet.

Meanwhile, President Yameen has also filed a constitutional case at the Supreme Court, seeking to nullify the presidential election. The court concluded hearings for the case on Tuesday.